Hinayuki's Revenge
by midnightkatana
Summary: She only wanted to save her friend. Now she would have to save herself from the darkness of the heart and soul


"_**Now die…" "Nii-san! Don't!" "Rukia…" "You can't take her! I won't let you!" "Stop" "I have seen the error of my ways, I will go back to Soul Society and accept my punishment. You people… don't you dare follow me." "NO!" **_

_Where had everything gone wrong? Why was this happening? It seems as if the whole world has been turned around, and we, the weak, useless people that we are, were unable to stop it. There was nothing we could do… and now she's gone._

The three lay there uselessly on the cold hard pavement in their own pools of blood. Trying to save Rukia from her brother and Renji had failed, and now, they would pay for their mistake with their lives. Emiko's eyes were clouded as she tried to keep consciousness, but she was so weak, she couldn't even move a muscle. Ichigo was struggling to lift himself up, but he also had lost too much blood to do so. Kotone watched them through half lidded eyes. She could feel her strength leaving her… if she didn't do something soon, they'd all die.

Suddenly she remembered her zanpakuto Chiyuki, Blood Snow. If she could manipulate blood with her shikai as she always did, then she'd be able to keep Ichigo and Emiko from losing more blood. She reached for her sword, which was just beyond reach of her fingertips and used all her remaining energy to inch forward and grab it.

Ichigo, who had fallen back down and was unable to get up, watched the girl helplessly as her face screwed up in pain as she gripped her zanpakuto as if her life depended on it. Through the haze in his mind Ichigo barely heard Kotone mutter "Release… your fury… Chiyuki…" and then… a strange feeling filled his body.

Gingerly, Ichigo craned his neck and saw that his and Emiko's body were glowing with a soft blue light, the same color that was wrapped around Kotone's zanpakuto. The only one not glowing was Kotone herself. She looked haggard in the soft light that emanated from Chiyuki. The puddles surrounding Ichigo and the now unconscious Emiko disappeared, as if they had been sucked back into their bodies. With a start Ichigo remembered that Chiyuki was a sword that controlled blood, so Kotone must have used it to keep them from losing any more blood. But what about her? There was no blue glow enveloping her, she was still lying in her puddle of blood, and that haze still covered her eyes.

He tried to say something to her, but she was unresponsive. She must be expending all her energy to keep Emiko and Ichigo alive, without any going to herself. She'd die by doing that. He tried to say something again but he felt dizzy all of a sudden and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Kotone gazed at Ichigo as he fell unconscious. Good, it would be easier for her to concentrate her energy on him if he wasn't moving. Pain shuddered through her body with every breath she took, but she didn't stop; she had to keep her two friends alive, at least until someone found them. She refused to let them die.

Kotone's breathing became heavy and labored. Her reiatsu was spent; the only thing that kept her release going was her life force. Kotone squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, hoping someone found Emiko and Ichigo before they died. She no longer cared what happened to herself; too much of her energy was spent, along with the injuries she had taken. She knew she would die, nothing would be able to save her.

The haze in her eyes grew darker around the edges, and the glow emanating from Ichigo and Emiko wavered slightly, before resuming its steady, if slightly dimmer than before, glow. _Hunh… so the world really does start spinning right before you die… _She thought to herself, conveniently forgetting that she had already died once, not that she could have remembered her past life anyways. No shinigami's memories were carried over to the next world, it was like they started with a blank slate.

Mist rolled in over Kotone's eyes as she took in her last few breaths, but she hazily made out two figures approaching her in the dark. One was large and hulking, the second a normal height, but his shadow's head was shaped odd as if they were they were wearing a hat.

"Well, this doesn't look good, does it Tessai?" the man in the hat chirped, glancing down at Kotone, Ichigo, and Emiko.

"Yes sir." was all the Giant shadow that Kotone could now slightly make out as Tessai said. "About time… you showed up… Urahara" Kotone rasped out, blood trickling from her mouth. "I almost thought…. You weren't gon…na…. come…" Kotone's eyes fluttered shut and her breathing stopped; the glow surrounding Ichigo and Emiko faded away and Chiyuki reverted back to her sealed state. Urahara just stared at the girl, shaking his head slightly.

"This girl…" he muttered to himself, then raised his voice so that Tessai could hear him. "Come on, we need to get them back and treat them. Kotone's in the worst shape; she's lost the most blood since she stopped the other two's." Urahara could understand her motives as to why she wouldn't save herself. If she had done so, her reiatsu would have run out faster and he and Tessai would have been too late to save any of them. By sacrificing her life, Ichigo and Emiko would be able to live and save Rukia, even if she couldn't.

Urahara hoisted Kotone's body over his shoulder, while Tessai did the same to Ichigo and Emiko. They turned and headed out for the Urahara Shoten, to see if they could bring back to life the ones that could change the fate of Soul Society.


End file.
